Page 39 of Not-So-Perfect Princess
“That’s the number one priority,” Alejandro said. “I’ll take every precaution to keep your identity a secret. I have as much to lose with this as you do.”
His words didn’t make any sense. This had nothing to do with him. “What do you mean?”
Alejandro hesitated.
“I want to know what you have to lose,” she said.
“My freedom,” he admitted. “Once you and Enrique marry and have children, I’ll be free from all royal obligations. I can concentrate on business and not have to worry about any more princely duties.”
Enrique had said Alejandro didn’t want to be royalty anymore. She’d thought Enrique had been exaggerating. Maybe that was what Alejandro had meant about being the person he needed to be. “You really want to turn your back on all your duties?”
“Yes.”
She admired his being true to himself while dealing with some of the same burdens she had as a royal, but his wanting to break off completely from his obligations and birthright saddened her. Yet she had to admit, she was a tad envious. Alejandro would sail off into the sunset and do what he wanted, whereas she would carry the weight of two countries’ expectations on her shoulders for the rest of her life.
At least she knew he would do everything in his power to keep them from getting caught. “I guess we both have something to lose.”
“We’re in this together, Julianna.”
Yes, they were, but the knowledge left her feeling unsettled. Being out here alone with him did, too. His nearness disturbed her. His lips captured her attention. She still felt an overwhelming urge to kiss him. Even if he was the last man she should kiss.
Keep walking. Julianna saw the grotto up ahead. “We’d better get into the tunnel before someone sees us out here.”
“No one will see us.” Alejandro spoke with confidence. “I own this place.”
“What place?”
He motioned to the land surrounding them. “The dock. The park. Everything you see.”
She tried to reconcile this new piece of information with what she knew about him. Enrique had made Alejandro sound as if only sailing mattered to him. “You’re a boatbuilder and a real estate investor?”
He nodded. “My goal is to turn the island into a travel hotspot. Most of the tourist traffic goes to other islands along the coast of Spain. La Isla de la Aurora doesn’t have enough quality hotels, resorts and marinas to attract the big spenders. My father and brother have a more low-key vision of how to improve the economy. But the Med Cup has helped attract the yachting crowd. Now I have to get the travel industry onboard.”
Impressive. And unexpected. He was so much more than she’d originally thought. Not that anything he owned or said or did should matter to her.
But it did. A lot.
She chewed on the inside of her cheek.
“As I mentioned, La Rueca’s result in the Med Cup could help that happen sooner,” he said. “If we finish well.”
We. The realization of what she’d agreed to hit her full force. Pressure to do well. Practice time. Being with Alejandro, a man she was attracted to. One who would be related to her when they finished racing. Oh, what a tangled web she was weaving. No way would she be able to escape unscathed.
“This isn’t going to work.” Doubts slammed into her like a rogue wave. “Someone at the palace will notice I’m not around if we have to practice a lot.”
“Don’t worry.” He tucked a stray strand of blond hair up into the wig and adjusted the cap on her head. “I’ll figure everything out. Trust me.”
Jules shivered with desire and apprehension. She would have to trust him in a way she’d never trusted anyone before.
“Do you really think we have a shot at doing well?” she asked.
One side of his mouth tipped up at the corner. “With you at the helm, we have a good shot at not only placing, but winning.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
THE SOUND OF voices woke Julianna. Lying in bed, she blinked open her eyes. Morning already. The bright sunlight made her shut her eyes again. But she’d glimpsed enough to know this wasn’t her room back in Aliestle. She hadn’t been dreaming.
